While Mr Fernando’s contribution and devotion to building a global tea brand has been highlighted by a multitude of tributes, his contribution to hospitality has been remarkable in so many ways. Along with his family, Dilmah created Ceylon Tea Trails, and 18 years later, the resort reached a pinnacle of being listed on the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List. Similarly, his faith in Cape Weligama and Wild Coast Tented Lodge have demonstrated his confidence in the growth of the tourism industry. We are all incredibly proud to have been part of that journey.
It is the ultimate test of innovative efforts and labours – will those giving eye and ear to their offerings, embrace them for further development so that the world would be Sri Lanka’s oyster for the humble jackfruit and gotukola (pennywort) and the hardly-noticed seaweed?
Resplendent Ceylon is excited to announce the return of 'The Chef & the Winemaker' gastro getaway series! This time we will enjoy Austrian wine and cuisine.
The world is a little quieter with travel restrictions in place at the moment – but the rhythm of Sri Lanka’s jungle carries on unabated. So, the rangers at Wild Coast Lodge are putting together a series of short IGTV videos called...
Leopard and Biodiversity Research and Conservation in Norwood area
Leopard and Biodiversity Research and Conservation in the Norwood, Castlereigh and Bogawanthalawa Valley areas bordering Peak Wilderness Sanctuary Dunkeld Conservation Station, June 2017. Continued research being carried out by The...
Lonely Planet reveals the Top 10 must-see places in Asia for 2017
An escape from the heat of the country’s coastline, Sri Lanka’s hill country is vivid with colour and culture. Ceylon Tea Trails is ideally located to experience the peace and tranquility of the serene hill country of Sri Lanka, which...
Recalling Thomas Cook’s Role in Ceylon’s Fledgling Tourism Industry
With the demise of Thomas Cook, Dr R. P. Fernando reminisces on the distinct charm of Sri Lanka when it was a relatively undiscovered travel destination, and Thomas Cook’s role in launching and developing the Tourism industry here. As...
As COVID-19 continues to spread, we want to reassure you of the rigorous procedures we have in place to protect our guests and staff during this period. At Resplendent Ceylon, the safety of our guests is our top priority and all three...
This year, World Tourism Day focuses on tourism and rural development, two areas that are significantly interlinked. Here in Sri Lanka, we have a wide variety of case studies of how tourism has been the primary driver of hyper-local...
Sri Lanka is one of the most at-risk nations in terms of climate change. Our coastlines are at risk of inundation, our forests are at risk of climate-induced die-back, our endemic species are nearing extinction while global business...
RResplendent Ceylon has launched “SafeStay” a dedicated Health & Safety Guide for hotels, to monitor and manage stringent health and safety measures.Despite comprising low density resorts in isolated locations, Resplendent Ceylon...
Condé Nast Traveler announced the results of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards with all three Resplendent Ceylon’s resorts remarkably among the top 10 hotels in the Asia Category. Ceylon Tea Trails was voted number 3, Wild Coast Tented...
Resplendent Roundtable is a series of discussions with thought leaders in travel, sustainability, entrepreneurship and related areas. These are curated by our own editors and the purpose is to provide readers with additional information...
Create intimate, bespoke, and memorable destination weddings that are tailor-made to suit your taste and planned with intricate attention to detail. Each distinctive location, resort design and architecture, and ambience lends itself to...
Ranger Anjallee had an amazing sighting recently in Block 5 of Yala National Park, of three cubs stalking their prey. Here is her account of how the drama unfolded. We watched in complete silence anticipating an attack from the female...
In late April, we at Resplendent Ceylon sent a message, a story of resilience, encapsulating the belief that we will rise again together. All three of our resorts opened on the 1st of June, 2020 and since then, we have been operating...
We are saddened and shocked by the attacks that took place on Easter Sunday and share our deepest sympathies with those affected. Sri Lanka has remained a peaceful island for the past decade and the attacks were unrelated to previous...
What started off as just a simple message created by Resplendent Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s leading collection of luxury resorts, has evolved into a national message with Sri Lankans from across the spectrum coming forward to share it. As a...
Petter Tolleman, founder of Ceylon Sliders Surf School - Cape Weligama’s Surf Experiences partner, loves the bay of Weligama for its year-round surfing. He breaks down what the subtle changes in weather mean for a surf experience in...
Tea Trails launches pioneering leopard conservation centre
Sri Lanka’s first tea resort partners with The Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust to introduce first-of-its kind conservation research and Tea Trails nature tours Oct 2016 – Budding naturalists and wildlife enthusiasts can...
Resplendent Ceylon presents “The Story of Refuge”, the second chapter in our series. Narrated by Hope Rajasinghe, this video invites you to escape to paradise, leave the worries of the world behind and find refuge at Resplendent Ceylon...
Resplendent Ceylon presents The Stories of Resplendent, a sensory chronicle of who we are, what drives us and our sources of inspiration. At the beating heart of the series is the island of Sri Lanka; it’s history, culture, people and...
Driving through the winding roads in Dickoya, you can easily miss the Warleigh Church. Located at a bend in the road, the Warleigh Church is an Anglican church built in 1878 by an Englishman called William Scot and overlooks the...
On our game drives into Block 1, we encounter multiple individual leopards (Yala has one of the highest densities of leopards in the world), but there are a few leopards in particular who are sighted often and have made a name for...
Dilmah Wildlife Conservation has supported the Elephant Transit Home (ETH) in Udawalawe National Park since 2007 through many initiatives. Most recently, they sponsor ‘Baby Dilmah’, a calf found orphaned in Mattala by the Department of...
Wild Coast Lodge hosted their first wedding at the property recently. Congratulations to Lori and Ranil. Thank you for sharing your special day with us! Different ‘Bohemian’ elements came together for a memorable wedding. From the beautiful flower arrangements adorning the dinner table and the “poruwa” (traditional wedding arbor), a separate area arranged...
Celebrating the 68th Anniversary of Relais & Châteaux
Their story began 68 years ago. Today, Relais & Châteaux is a name synonymous with impeccable standards of luxury, service and commitment towards creating authentic, enriching and novel experiences.Present across five continents and 64...
Dilmah Tea Founder Merrill J. Fernando has been capped as a Doctor of Science by Massey
In recognition of his strong leadership in ethical business within the food and beverage industry, our chairman and founder of globally renowned Dilmah Tea was capped as Doctor of Science by Massey University in New Zealand. “This...
Emirates pays warm tribute to Merrill J. Fernando on his 90th birthday
The shared passion that attracts like-minded organisations to each other was clearly articulated when Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, greeted Dilmah founder Merrill J. Fernando recently, on the occasion of the 90th...
Empower Culinary & Hospitality School’s inaugural graduates felicitated in international event
The Empower Culinary & Hospitality School, Sri Lanka’s premier culinary and hospitality facility with World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) recognition, is an outcome of the philosophy of MJF Foundation Settlor Merrill...
Sri Lanka is experiencing a sea change. It is at times like this we believe our strengths and a sense of renewal comes to the fore.Here are five reasons why a traveller should visit our island home now...
FORBES: Tablet Reveals the 25 Coolest Hotels in the World and a New Beginning after Being Acquired By Michelin
Wild Coast Tented Lodge was recently featured in the Forbes article highlighting 25 of the coolest hotels around the world by Tablet! “The Sri Lankan coast is an extraordinary place for a holiday, and the luxury-tent safari camps of...
Mankada, the Dilmah MJF Centre for Empowerment through Arts and Crafts in Uda Walawe, is an artisanal pottery centre that seeks to provide employment to women living in the area. Mankada was set up to support the local community with a...
